Most contemporary online mapping services offer maps and directions for a route requested by a user. Typically the user enters a starting location (or uses a default starting location) and enters an ending destination, based upon which the service automatically generates a map showing the start and/or end of the requested route.
While in general such maps are functional, the positioning of such maps is not ideal in many instances. More particularly, existing solutions place the start or end location at the center of the map. This potentially causes important route details to be missed. Moreover, the available display area is not effectively used, as the route tends to appear only on the top, bottom, left or right portion of the map view.